PNEUMATIC TIRE

• US 20200130418A1
• Filed: 10/09/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 11,241,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0008 characterised by the tread rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0302 directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1346 covered by a rubber different from the tread rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1369 Tie bars for linking block elements and bridging the groove
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0374 Slant grooves, i.e. having an angle of about 5 to 35 degrees to the equatorial plane

Abstract

A plurality of main grooves extending from a tread center region including a tire equator to ground contact ends so as to be inclined with respect to a tire width direction are provided on a tread section at intervals in a tire circumferential direction. Sub-grooves extending in a direction crossing the tire width direction with a narrower groove width than the main grooves in the tread center region are provided. Tie bars connecting blocks separated by the sub-grooves are provided inside the sub-grooves.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire comprising:

main grooves provided at intervals in a tire circumferential direction on a tread section and extending from a tread center region including a tire equator to ground contact ends so as to be inclined with respect to a tire width direction;

sub-grooves extending in a direction crossing the tire width direction with a narrower groove width than the main grooves in the tread center region; and

tie bars provided inside the sub-grooves and connecting blocks separated by the sub-grooves.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the tread center region includes a center land section on the tire equator,

the sub-grooves include first sub-grooves provided at intervals in the tire circumferential direction on the center land section to partition the center land section into a plurality of center blocks, and

the tie bars include first tie bars provided in the first sub-grooves and connecting the center blocks.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2,

wherein the center land section comprises first center blocks extending so as to be inclined to one side in the tire width direction toward one side in the tire circumferential direction and second center blocks extending so as to be inclined to the other side in the tire width direction toward one side in the tire circumferential direction, and the center land section extends in a zigzag shape in the tire circumferential direction by arranging the first center blocks and the second center blocks alternately in the tire circumferential direction.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the tread center region includes center blocks on the tire equator,

the sub-grooves include second sub-grooves separating the center blocks and mediate blocks arranged between the main grooves adjacent in the tire circumferential direction on outer sides in the tire width direction of the center blocks, and

the tie bars include second tie bars provided in the second sub-grooves and connecting between the center blocks and the mediate blocks.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the tread center region includes a center land section on the tire equator,

the sub-grooves include first sub-grooves provided at intervals in the tire circumferential direction on the center land section to partition the center land section into a plurality of center blocks and second sub-grooves separating the center blocks and mediate blocks arranged between the main grooves adjacent in the tire circumferential direction on outer sides in the tire width direction of the center blocks,

the tie bars include first tie bars provided in the first sub-grooves and connecting the center blocks and second tie bars provided in the second sub-grooves and connecting the center blocks and the mediate blocks, and

a length of the first tie bars is larger than a length of the second tie bars.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein a rotation direction is designated, and

the tie bars are arranged so as to be close to a front side in the rotation direction between respective blocks.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the tie bar has a lightening shape.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7,

wherein the lightening shape is an H-shape in plan view, an I-shape in plan view, a T-shape in plan view, a U-shape in plan view, a C-shape in plan view, a square-frame shape in plan view or a 8-shape in plan view.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein rubber for forming the tie bars has a higher hardness than tread rubber.